Sergio García stunned spectators when he played out of a tree at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Florida only to later withdraw from the final round after injuring himself while playing the shot.

The Spaniard's wild tee-shot on the 10th at Bay Hill lodged more than 15 feet up a tree but after a bit of manoeuvring García struck the ball into play one-handed and backwards.

"First I climbed to identify the ball and I saw I could hit it one handed," García said in a statement on his website. "Luckily it went OK."

He was playing with William McGirt, who was amazed the shot came off. "I looked over and Sergio is up in the air, and I'm trying to figure out what in the hell he's going to do," McGirt told ESPN. "He called for a club. He's hugging the tree. And the ball comes flying out."

But while the shot was a success, it came at a price with García injuring his shoulder. He sent his subsequent shot only 30 yards with a wedge and made double bogey on the hole. The final round was called off two holes later due to severe thunderstorms and García withdrew soon after.

"It wasn't an easy decision. I wanted to keep playing and finish the round and the tournament even though it was not my best day, but soreness grew and [I] decided to pull back to avoid further injuries," he said.

García was concerned that finishing the remaining six holes would hinder his preparation for the Masters where he will next play. The final round at Bay Hill is due to resume on Monday where Tiger Woods is leading by three shots.